Meeting Of State Project Directors On National AIDS Control Programme

July 12, 2005

Meeting Of State Project Directors On National Aids Control

Programme

The Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss

has urged the State Project Directors to mount expanded multi-

sectoral response and come forth with innovative programmes to deal

with HIV/AIDS in the country. The Minister was addressing the two-

day (11th and 12th July, 2005) meeting of the State Project

Directors on National AIDS Control Programme, organized by National

AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), here today.

He said that the HIV/AIDS continues to pose a serious challenge to

the country and we have to work in a mission mode with greater sense

of urgency and build partnerships with all Government departments,

civil society including the private sector. Commending the setting

up of National Council of AIDS under the Chairmanship of the Prime

Minister, the Minister said, this was a reflection of the highest

level of commitment from the Government.

The main aim of the Council is to mainstream HIV/AIDS in all the

Ministries and review the National AIDS Control Programme.

The Minister said that the epidemic of the HIV/AIDS has reached a

stage where both prevention and care are essential and we need to

strike a balance between the two. We need to saturate high risk

population through the targeted interventions and take up behaviour

change communication, promote use of condoms and clean needles and

treatment of STIs. The Minister further emphasized that we need to

reach out to each and every person of the country through a variety

of communication efforts and equip them with the knowledge to

protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. Women and youth need to be reached

out on priority, he added.

Dr. Ramadoss said that budgetary allocations for the programme has

been increased and assured all support in this respect.

The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Panabaka

Lakshmi emphasized that there is an urgent need to revamp the NACP-

II as we are on the threshold of launching NACP-III.

She hoped that Sentinel Surveillance plan during 2005-06 will yield

more fruitful results as NACO has planned to increase the number of

sites for wider coverage of high risk groups and rural population.

The Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Shri P.K.

Hota, DG,NACO, Shri S.Y. Quraishi and other senior officials were

present in the meeting.

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